Boxing | South Africa

Vetyeka and Budler top Class of 2013

Simpiwe Vetyeka, Hekkie Budler and Zolani Tete were the top achievers in SA professional boxing in 2013.

Even though the sport in South Africa endured another disappointing year, the promoters managed to stage 31 national title bouts and 16 South Africans fought in “world” title fights.

In six of the 17 divisions there was only one title fight and the standard in some championship bouts was poor.

South Africans won 9 “world” title fights but only one was presented by one of the leading organisations, namely the WBA. The others were for titles offered by minor organisations such as the IBO and WBF.

At the end of the year, eight South Africans held belts awarded by one of the “world” organisations.

Budler was the most active champion, making three successful defences of his IBO belt and claiming the WBA interim minimumweight title. He came of age in retaining his belt against Renan Trongco, Nkosinathi Joyi and Hugo Verchelli.

LANDMARK BOUTS

Among the landmark bouts for SA boxers in 2013 were:

In June, Hekkie Budler outpointed, against the odds, the highly regarded former IBF mini-flyweight champion Nkosinathi Joyi who suffered only his second loss in 27 fights.

In November, Zolani Tete knocked out former IBF junior bantamweight Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr of Mexico in an IBF title eliminator.

The outstanding performance of the year came from Simphiwe Vetyeka, who stopped previously unbeaten Indonesian Chris John in the sixth round to win the WBA “super” featherweight belt in December.

Vetyeka became the first South African to be recognised as a WBA super champion. In April, he
knocked out another Indonesian, Daud Cino Yordan, to claim the IBO featherweight belt.

Sadly, Moruti Mthalane, probably the best SA fighter, pound for pound, had no fights in 2013.

SUPERBOXING’S AWARDS

Thanks to SuperSport, fans in Africa were able to watch live television coverage of SA tournaments throughout 2013.

SuperBoxing complemented the TV coverage with breaking news, background articles and fight reports that appeared on the website within minutes after most big fights.

SuperBoxing’s best and worst of SA boxing in 2013.

Boxers of the Year: Simphiwe Vetyeka and Hekkie Budler.

Fight of the Year: Hekkie Budler’s points victory close over Nkosinathi Joyi to retain his IBO strawweight title.

Prospect of the Year: Keven Lerena, a junior heavyweight, and Xolani Mcotheli, a junior lightweight.

Trainer of the Year: Boy Boy Mpulampula, who did sterling work in the Eastern Cape, and Vuyani Bungu, who took Siphiwe Vetyeka to his second “world” title.

Special mention must also be made of Colin Nathan, who guided a maturing Hekkie Budler to three successful title defences in 2013.

Promoter of the Year: Rodney Berman and Mzimasi Mnguni. The latter kept boxing thriving in the Eastern Cape.

Punch of the Year: The straight left from southpaw Zolani Tete that knocked out Mexican Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr in the tenth round of their IBF junior bantamweight title eliminator.

Mismatch of the Year: Light-heavyweight Ryno Liebenberg’s first-round wipe-out of Daniel Adotey Allotey from Ghana at Emperors Palace in November and Anton Nel’s sixth-round stoppage of five-fight novice Sibusiso Sibiya.

Worst Decision of the Year: Siphosetu Mvula’s points victory over Unathi Gqoma when he claimed the vacant SA bantamweight title in November.

Saddest Sight of the year: The SA heavyweight title fight in Bloemfontein on October 5. In a contest between two fighters well past their best, 45-year-old old Anton Nel stopped Hein van Bosch to claim the vacant title.